Feeding tank or not? - Page 2

Lankyrob · 10-19-11, 02:49 AM

[quote=spots;639918]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

Plates are fantastic, the only reason I don't use them for retics is because the sight of the plate sets them off on a feed mode, and I can't guarantee that when I do an educational show with them that there won't be a plate in the room.[/QUOT

Well that's the idea i have heard about feeding in the viv, that every time you open the viv your snake will be thinking feeding time, and bam by accident you get bit.

So in conclusion I think I will stick to separate feed tub/tank.

This "logic" is illogical. PLease read on

If you feed in the viv then ecerytime you open the viv the snake will think it is being fed and will be "aggressive"

If you feed in a tub then everytime you take the snake out of the viv it will think that it is being fed and be "aggressive"

The arguments cancel each other out.

What you need is a good routine, i use a plate, with no plate in my hand i can open any of my snakes viv (bar my psycho JCP) stick my hand in, and either spot clean or pick up the snake with NO ISSUES at all.

If i have a plate in my hand or have put a plate into the viv in preparation then all my snakes will be in feed mode and i will get bitten if i start poking around.

As long as i havent handled food prior to putting my hand in (i always rinse my hands first) and htere is no plate then i have no risk of biting.

ZARADOZIA · 10-19-11, 04:38 AM

I can't speak for all snakes because I have not had hands on experience with many of the more exotic types. But I can speak for my ball. She does not like eating in her enclosure. I don't know why. I feed her after a good soak in the bathtub. (I feed her in the bathub)

Also keep in mind she was severely underfed when I got her and I had feeding problems when I got her. So I tried many different methods to see which would entice her the most. For Sasha, she was the most relaxed and most comfortable after a nice long soak.

I don't believe your BP will become aggressive if you feed him in his enclosure. As long as you feed him on schedule he shouldn't become aggressive just because you feed him inside his enclosure. He will know the difference between rat/mice smell and the smell of your daughter. As long as she hasn't handled any rats/mice before handling him.

Just be sure to teach her proper handling because not all snakes are as laid back as balls. She should learn to watch for aggressive behavior just in case he has a moody moment.

My personal opinion about feeding in separate environment is really between you and your ball. If he eats just fine where he is and you have not noticed any personality changes (aggression) when you handle him when it is not feeding time, then it's really up to what makes you feel the most comfortable.

If you are concerned he may act aggressively towards your daughter, then use a separate feeding area. Just know that he may or may not like feeding in a new environment.

infernalis · 10-19-11, 05:08 AM

I do both, My solo snakes are fed in their cages.

My garter snake groups and the Dekayi girls must be split up at feeding time to prevent fighting.

Quack · 10-19-11, 05:23 AM

For my bp, i feed in a tub because sometimes she likes to poop on friday night( i feed on saturday) so i just clean her cage while shes eating

red ink · 10-19-11, 05:32 AM

Personally.... I have only ever used them as a newb and never again.

When I first started keeping snakes I moved my first snake into a feeding tank. This went on for months as a routine till one day the "stress" of being moved around after feeding (as they would naturally/instinctually retreat in to a hide after feeding) resulted in a stressed induced regurge.

The was the end of my feeding tub practices...

UwabamiReptiles · 10-19-11, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by red ink

Personally.... I have only ever used them as a newb and never again.

When I first started keeping snakes I moved my first snake into a feeding tank. This went on for months as a routine till one day the "stress" of being moved around after feeding (as they would naturally/instinctually retreat in to a hide after feeding) resulted in a stressed induced regurge.

The was the end of my feeding tub practices...

Thats the reason I never liked the idea of feeding in a separate tub. Some snakes can still be in feeding mode for up to a day after they eat. I've always felt that would make you more likely to get bit when you have to put back in their. Then just like Red Ink said, you have to handle them right after they eat to get them back in their cage. Even though it won't happen everytime, the stress of handling right after they eat can cause a regurge. And from what I've experienced and read what other people have experienced, feeding in a separate tub has no effect on the snake's disposition.

alessia55 · 10-19-11, 07:13 AM

I feed both my ball pythons outside their cage. Every time I take him out, he does NOT think it's feeding time. He knows it's feeding time the moment he's in his feeding tub.. he get's "switched on". The container has a little trap door or whatever at the top of it and I put the prey through there (because the one time I didn't, he got my hand instead of the mouse by accident). I never get a feeding response from him just by taking him out, even if he's late to get a meal because I was out of town or whatever. Unlike using a plate, I know he is highly unlikely to encounter the same container I use with him outside of my apartment.
However!!!!!! During the summers and winters for the past 2 years, Kim (Will0W783) has taken care of him and he feeds him in his cage during that time. When I pick him up again, he is NOT more cage aggressive or anything like that. So, who knows!

Maybe the method works, maybe it doesn't. While he's with ME, I play it safe (even if it's only in my head!) and I feed him in a separate container. To each his own I suppose

KrazyKat · 10-19-11, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZARADOZIA

I can't speak for all snakes because I have not had hands on experience with many of the more exotic types. But I can speak for my ball. She does not like eating in her enclosure. I don't know why. I feed her after a good soak in the bathtub. (I feed her in the bathub)

My personal opinion about feeding in separate environment is really between you and your ball. If he eats just fine where he is and you have not noticed any personality changes (aggression) when you handle him when it is not feeding time, then it's really up to what makes you feel the most comfortable.

Agreed. I also have a couple snakes who refuse to eat in their enclosures, and only get into feed mode once they enter their bins.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

......No one I know uses a feeding tank.

You know ONE Steph

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

I do both, My solo snakes are fed in their cages.
My garter snake groups and the Dekayi girls must be split up at feeding time to prevent fighting.

I also have a few different girls housed together who MUST be split, and the tub method is the only way to accomplish this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alessia55

I feed both my ball pythons outside their cage. Every time I take him out, he does NOT think it's feeding time. He knows it's feeding time the moment he's in his feeding tub.. he get's "switched on". The container has a little trap door or whatever at the top of it and I put the prey through there (because the one time I didn't, he got my hand instead of the mouse by accident). I never get a feeding response from him just by taking him out, even if he's late to get a meal because I was out of town or whatever. Unlike using a plate, I know he is highly unlikely to encounter the same container I use with him outside of my apartment.
However!!!!!! During the summers and winters for the past 2 years, Kim (Will0W783) has taken care of him and he feeds him in his cage during that time. When I pick him up again, he is NOT more cage aggressive or anything like that. So, who knows!

Maybe the method works, maybe it doesn't. While he's with ME, I play it safe (even if it's only in my head!) and I feed him in a separate container. To each his own I suppose

I couldn't agree more Alessia. I have come to realize that it depends on the snake. I have a couple snakes who will take prey items in their enclosures, a few that won't, and the rest have got in a regular bin-feeding routine that has not once resulted in regurge, or more aggression. In fact, we need not even handle them after feeding as our PVCs latch open, we just gently incline the tub at the opening and they slither back into their enclosures, often without needing encouragement. There are reasons why different experts recommend both feeding methods.

Just do what works best for you and your snake. In the end, only you can be the judge of that because it is you who will be carefully observing/monitoring your snake’s behavior, and not all snakes will react the same way to either method. I do not believe either way is "right or wrong" in theory, but either can be right or wrong for YOUR snake.

Coffee Black · 10-19-11, 08:32 AM

My coastal girl is an EXTREMELY aggressive feeder and stays in feed mode a long time. The rule of thumb is generally to leave your snake alone for 2 days after feeding. I leave her alone for three. Two for her digestion and one to avoid holes in my hand. I feed her in her enclosure. I gave up on plates and such . She drags the prey back into her hide to swallow so I just check on her and make sure she has no substrate. When possible I try to get the prey to her when she is in her hide but my shy little girl has become quite the curious carpet and usually comes out to see what is going on as soon as the door opens.

knox · 10-19-11, 08:46 AM

I have done both. These days, I feed in their enclosure. If you don't have a fussy eater, it just doesn't make sense to feed outside the enclosure - unless you use that time for cleaning out the cage.

stephanbakir · 10-19-11, 08:48 AM

You also need to think about, when you feed them in a tub, you need to "handle them" to get them back in the enclosure... thats never good.

KrazyKat · 10-19-11, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

You also need to think about, when you feed them in a tub, you need to "handle them" to get them back in the enclosure... thats never good.

Read my post - you don't, necessarily. Mine crawl right back into their enclosures from their bins, often without any encouragement needed other than a slight incline of the bin at the opening of their enclosure. They've always seemed smart enough to recognize “home” and easily slither back into it with little to no hesitation.

alessia55 · 10-19-11, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KrazyKat

Read my post - you don't, necessarily. Mine crawl right back into their enclosures from their bins, often without any encouragement needed other than a slight incline of the bin at the opening of their enclosure. They've always seemed smart enough to recognize “home” and easily slither back into it with little to no hesitation.

Like I said previously, I also feed in a separate container, and this is exactly how I get them back into their enclosure. I gently tip the feeding container and they slither back into their enclosure. No handling takes place after feeding.

blindfireak40 · 10-19-11, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

You also need to think about, when you feed them in a tub, you need to "handle them" to get them back in the enclosure... thats never good.

A method I've used as well is a small hide box placed in the feeding tub. They eat, they crawl in, and you simply lift the hide box and put it back in the viv. That said, I'm going to be starting to feed Vermicelli in his viv most of the time...tried it last feed and it was SOOOOOO much easier lol.

**lady_bug87** · 10-19-11, 10:04 AM

my BP will not take prey in his enclosure, he doesnt even bother but as soon as he gets placed in his feeding bin its game on, in his tank I have to remove him by hand to put him back in his viv because of his current set up i wait for him to start crawling around usually he comes out of his bin by himself and on to my hand and back into the viv he goes no feeding aggression, no regurge, perfect sheds, and poops 5-7 days after feeding without fail

my GTP gets fed in her viv for obvious reasons and she is a hardy eater (had her first double pink meal last week)

my boa I currently feed outside of her enclosure same as the BP no regurge poops just fine has not shed for me yet